Card game implements



Jan. 8, 1957 J. M. MACDONALD ETAL 2,776,498

CARD GAME IMPLEMENTS Filed March 16, 1954 v 25 W 30g i "'1 32 I I .i

United States Patent "cc CARD GAME IMPLEMENTS James Macdonald and Jean Macdonald, Evanston, Ill.

Application March 16, 1954, Serial No. 416,464

1 Claim. (Cl. 35-8) The present invention relates to card game implements, and particularlyto a new and improved set of playing cards useful in teaching people, particularly children, to learn the different cards and their values.

As is well known, a conventional pack or deck of cards constitutes fifty-two cards divided into four suits of thirteen cards each. A person being introduced to the use of such cards for playing even the simplest of games is confused bythe number of cards with their very diiferent appearances occasioned in part by the arrangement of the spots on the card faces and thediiferent pictures, and fails readily to appreciate the'value of each card and its rank relative to other cards of the same or a different suit. 1

This situation isnot helped by the fact that when playing a card game each player usually holds his cards spread fanwise in one hand so that, with the exception of the top card, only the upper left corner is visible. When so held each presents a somewhat different appearance that it does when lying face up on the playing table.

It is a principal object of the present invention to pro vide a new and improved set of playing cards which are particularly useful in teaching card suit and value recognition.

Another object is to provide a new and improved set of playing cards, some of which are intended to teach card values and rank, and others of which are intended to teach suit recognition.

Another object is to provide a new and improved set of playing cards in which pairs of cards are provided, one of which may be laid over another to create or simulate a conventional card having a particular value or rank and suit.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a typical card from the set of the present invention and of the numerical value type;

Fig. 2 is a face view of a typical card of the picture value type;

Fig. 3 is a face view of a typical suit recognition card;

Fig. 4 is a face view of the combination of the suit recognition card and the numerical value card shown in Figs. 1 and 3; and

Fig. 5 is a face view of a modified suit recognition card.

In the conventional deck or pack of cards there are two black suits, that of spades and that of clubs; and two red suits, that of hearts and that of diamonds. Each suit comprises thirteen cards, the cards being the ace, numbered cards 2 through 10, jack, queen and king, The latter three cards, in addition to bearing on their faces spots or suit indicating devices, include a picture which has the same appearance from either end of the card. Each of the numerical value cards bears a number of spots equal to the value of the card, thus the three 2,776,498 Patented Jan. 8, 1957 of a particular suit has three large pips or spots arranged in the center of the card, the numeral 3 in the upper left and lower right corners of the card and, immediately adjacent the number in each corner and along the long edge of the card, a pipe or spot indicating the suit. Each of the picture cards bears, in the upper left and lower right corners, the first letter of the character portrayed on the card-for example, I for jack, Q for queen, and K for king, and immediately below the I, Q, or K, a spot indicating the suit to which the card belongs. The ace of each suit is indicated by the letter A in the upper left and lower right corners and, immediately below the A, a spot to indicate the suit.

It is readily appreciated, therefore, that when a person is confronted with fifty-two cards, some confusion is likely to exist. The cards of the present invention assist people n learning the value and rank of each card and the four diflierent suits. Furthermore, simple card games which would be helpful in learning the card values, rank, and suits, may be played with these cards.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that each set contains three basic card types 10, 12, and 14. Card 10 is rectangular and has a greater height than width, which are the proportions of a conventional playing card. As indicated at 16, in the upper left corner and at 16a in the lower right corner, numbers or the letter A are printed as in a conventional deck of cards, to indicate the, numerical card value or the ace; otherwise face 18 of each of these cards is blank. The number or letter 16 is printed in, black and the number or letter 16a is printed in red to correspond to the black and red suits, respectively. A basic set would include ten cards 10 having a blank face and, in their upper left and lower right corners, one of the following indicia: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10. These constitute the number or numerical value recognition cards.

The second card 12 is a picture recognition card and is typified by the illustration of Fig. 2 which indicates the king of a suit. The card 12 bears on its face, within a rectangle 20, the picture of the king of a suit and is symmetrical about the horizontal median line. In the upper left and lower right corners letters 22 and 22a, in black and red respectively, are printed; in the particular illustration the K indicates the king. Each basic set includes three picture cards 12 to teach recognition of the jack, the queen, and the king of a suit, and together with the cards 10 are used to teach the rank and value of the respective cards.

Fig. 3 illustrates the third type of card included in a basic set of the present invention. The card 14, which is preferably made of a transparent plastic material such as cellulose acetate or methyl methacrylate, is cut to exactly the same size as the cards It) and 12 and it has printed over the major portion of one of its surfaces an opaque coating 24 to simulate the opaque face of a conventional playing card. It also has printed on its face, at its center, a pip or spot 26 in the appropriate color of one of the four suits, that of spades being used as an example. At each of the diagonally opposite upper left and lower right corners the opaque face is omitted, as indicated at 28, to form a Window 39 in the transparent material of the card. Immediately below each window 30 (considering the upper left corner) and adjacent the long side of the card, another suit indicator or spot 32 of substantially smaller size than the spot 26 is printed. The spots 32 are located in approximately the same position as they would be in a conventional playing card. The card 14 may be coated on either surface but the coating 24 and windows 39 must be arranged so that the windows 36 are at the upper left and lower right corners when the card is face up and the spots 26 and 32 can be seen. A basic set of cards of this invention include four cards 14, one for each of the suits of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs, and each printed in its usual color of black or red.

When a person has become familiar with thetrank of each of the cards according to their number or picture value, and of the different suits, the cards It) or 12 and 14 may be combined as shown in Fig. 4. Card 14 is laid over card 10 and the numbers 7 are seen through the windows 30 in the opposite corners where they ordinarily appear in a conventional playing card. It is, of course, an object to match the appropriate color of the number or letter 16, 16a, 22, and 22a with the suit color to recreate or simulate a playing card, such, for example, as the 7 of spades shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 4 that portion of the cards 10 and 14 to the left of the diagonal dot-dash line 34, corresponds to that part of a conventional card which would ordinarily be seen when several cards are spread fanwise and held in one hand and, therefore, the colors of the number or letters and suits should be matched at the upper left corner. A novice is taught by the combination of cards 10 and 14 or 12 and 14 to recognize at a glance that portion of a card which he ordinarily sees while playing many of the conventional card games such as rummy, bridge, or pinochle. The remaining portion to the right of the diagonal dot-dash line 34 is usually covered by the overlying eard except when the card is uppermost, and then the entire face appears.

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the suit indicating or teaching card 36, and is identical with the card 14 shown in Fig. 3 except that it is cut out at 38 at the diagonally opposite corners to provide the windows, through which,

the corners of the lower card 10 or 12 may be seen. It bears on its face the suit indicating devices or spots 26 and 32 and its use is identical with the use of the card 14 as explained in the preceding paragraphs.

United States Letters Patent is:

In a set of playing cards adapted to be usedin the instruction of the value and rank of cards in a conventional deck, the combination of a first rectangularly shaped card, indicia on the face of said card at diagonally opposite corners to indicate the value and rank of the card in a suit, a second card of transparent material having the same length and width as said first card and overlying said first card, an opaque coating on said second card covering the major portion of the card and configured to leave windows only at diagonally opposite corners to render visible said indicia on said first card, and suit indicating spots printed on the face of said second card.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,592,122 De Jesus Apr. 8, 1952 2,634,132 Freedman Apr. 7, 1953 2,639,922 Laycott May 26, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,326 Great Britain Dec. 7, 1918 639,698 France Mar. 13, 1928 

